Safety-catch.



W. G. KENDALL.

SAFETY CATCH.

APPLICATION FI LED FEB-27, I917.

Patented May 29,1917.

WILLIAM G. KENDALL, or nEwAn NEW JERSEY.

SAFETY-CATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Application filed Febrnary 27, 1917. Serial No. 151,299. a

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. KENDALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Catches,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in safety catches for pins, and more particularly for pins of the socalled safety-pin type, the primary object of my invention being the provision of a catch which will berelatively small, economical to manufacture, applicable to pins already in use and efficient in its action.

A still further object which I have in view is the construction of a catch embodying a pair of keeper hooks the terminals of which turn downwardly to tend to retain a pin engaged in them, a swinging locking plate adapted to fit snugly between the hooks and curved intermediate its length .to

correspond to the curvature of the hooks,

and a locking stud or projection carried by the locking plate and adapted to project from it to the base of the catch to provide an absolute barrier against disengagement of the pin from the hooks when the catch is in place.

Another object which I aim to accomplish is the provision of means for effectively holding the locking plate in active position when once applied.

With these and other objects in view,'my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and then specifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form a part of this application.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a conven tional form of bar pin showing my catch in use;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the catch;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the catch taken on the line 3-3 .of Fig. 1 but not showing the pin;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the catch in open position;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a somewhat modified form of catch in closed position;

Fig. 6 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the catch shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the catch shown in Fig. 5 in open position.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters. In order to insure a clear and accurate understanding of my improved catch construction and its operation, I have illustrated it in connection with a conventional form of bar pin including the body 10 provided upon its rear face and adjacent one end with spaced ears 12 topivotally receive the unpointed end ofthe pin proper 13. My catch, indicated as a whole by the numeral 1t,'is shown in Fig. 1 as lockingly receiving the pin proper adjacent its pointed end, the catch for obvious reasons being disposed transversely of the body 10 of the bar pin. I

For an understanding of the details of structure of the catch itself, reference should be had to Figs. 2 to I inclusive, of the drawings. As there shown the catch includes a base portion 15 which is preferably of sheet metal and rectangular in shape and which is provided at its sides with upstanding projections or walls 16, these walls being preferably stamped out as a single piece with the base and then bent into vertical parallel relation as shown. The upper edges of these walls are cut away' to provide at one end a pair of ears 17 projecting a considerable distance from the base 15 and at their opposite ends a pair of keeper hooks 18. The shank portions of these hooks project vertically with respect to the base and the bill portions are curved toward the ears 17 and then downwardly so as to provide with the upper edges of the remaining portions of the side walls a relatively narrow or restricted pin-receiving passage 19. The outer faces of the hooks are curved to correspond with the inner faces in order that the pin may ride readily over them to the passage 19 and then be swung through this passage and rearwardly away from the body of the pin to seat in the bight portions of the hooks. Obviously these hooks will hold the pin against any movement other than movement through the passage 19 between the terminals and the walls 16.

A substantially rectangular locking plate 20 of sheet metal is provided in slightly spaced relation to one end with laterally directed trunnions 21 which pivotally seat in perforations 22 formed in the cars 17 and in alineinent with each other. This plate is provided intermediate its length with an outcurved portion 28 and its free terminal is bent at an angle to the body of the plate so that when the plate is swung to active position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the body of the plate will be parallel to the base, the curved portion will be concentric with and disposed between the hooks and its terminal ,will engage against the end of the base. This terminal is slightly upbent as shown at 24 so that it may be readily engaged by the'finger of the wearer of the pin to facilitate its movement to inactive position. A leaf spring 25 is secured, by a rivet 26 or other suitable means, to the base 15 between the hook portions of the side walls and has its free end outsprung to constantly engage against the pivotal terminal of the locking plate 20 so as to yieldably hold the plate in either active or inactive position andto olfer resistance to the stopping of the plate in any intermediate position, the terminal of the plate wiping back and forth across the spring during movement of the plate from one position to the other.

A locking stud 0r pin 26 has one end fixed, in the plate at the juncture of the body portion of the plate and its outcurved portion in such a manner as to extend downwardly when the plate is in active position and at a slight angle toward the shank portions of the hooks. This pin when the plate is in active position engages against the spring 25 soas to completely close the passages 19 and because of'its inclination any movement of the pin proper toward the passage will bring it into engagement with the inclined locking stud 26 in such a manner that further movement of the pin proper will not only be prevented but strain tending to move it farther will act against thestud' in a direction to more closely press the locking plate into active position. The pin proper may, however, be freed from the catch at any time by holding it in the bight portion of the hooks and manually swinging the plate against the action of its spring into inactive position when the pin may be removed from the hooks in the usual manner.

In Figs. 5 to 7, inclusive, I have illustrated a modified form of safety catch which in most respects is identical with the form previously described. In this modified form of hook construction the base does not project beyond the ears 17 as in the form first described and the opposite end of the base terminates substantially in alinement with the bight portions of the hooks. Furthermore the locking plate has its free terminal bent downwardly and inwardly as shown at 27 so. that in active position it abuts against the adjacent edge of the base instead of againstthe upper face of the base. Preferably for thesake of convenience the outer faces of the shank portions of the hooks conform in curvature to the curvature of this terminal 27 The outcurved intermediate portion of the locking plate is provided with a radially extending finger piece or stud 28 in order that the plate may be readily swung to open or to active position and the side walls of the body of the catch are so spaced that there is a slight wedging action between them and the base of the locking plate when it is swung to active position which will serve to hold it against any possible movement due to gravity such as might occur during shaking of the garment upon which a pin equipped with the catch was fastened. The modified form of catch is otherwise identical with that previously described and for this reason the corresponding parts have been given similar reference characters.

Obviously the base portions of the catches described may be omitted and the side wall portions may be as separate elements and soldered or otherwise secured directly to the rear face of the body of the pin if desired. This structure will not, however, be as rigid as that shown and would require more delicate workmanship in its application. However, I do not wish to limit myself to the specific details of construction and particular arrangement of parts shown, but reserve the right to make any changes, within the scope of the appended claims, without in the slightest degree departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A safety clasp applicable to pins of the safety-pin type including a base adapted to be secured to the rear face'of the pin, outstanding side walls projecting in substantially parallel spaced relation from the base, the walls being cut away to define ears at one end and rebent hook portions at the other end the bills of which are curved toward the earsand base to provide restricted pin point receiving passages, and a locking plate pivoted adjacent one end between the ears and engaging 'at its other end against the base when in active position, the intermediate portion of the locking plate being outcurved to conform to the curvature of the hooks and to fit snugly between them.

2. A safety clasp applicable to pins of the safety-pin type including a base adapted to be secured to the rear face of the pin, spaced outstanding side walls projecting from the base, the walls being cut away to define ears at one end and rebent hook portions at the other end the bills of which are curved toward the ears and base to provide restricted pin point receiving passages, a locking plate pivoted adjacent one end between the ears and engaging at its other end against the base when in active position, the intermediate portion of the locking plate being out i curved to conform to the curvature of the hooks and to fit snugly between them, and a locking stud fixed to the intermediate portion of the locking plate and projecting downwardly across the passages when the plate is in active position.

3. A safety clasp applicable to pins of the safety-pin type including a base adapted to be Secured to the rear face of the pin, spaced outstanding side walls projecting from the base, the walls being cut away to define ears at one end and rebent hook portions at the other end the bills of which are curved toward the ears and base to provide restricted pin point receiving passages, a locking plate pivoted adjacent one end between the ears and engaging at its other end against the base when in active position, the intermediate portion of the locking plate being outcurved to conform to the curvature of the hooks and to fit snugly between them, and a locking stud fixed to the intermediate portion of the locking plate and projecting downwardly across the passages with its free end with slight inclination toward the free end of the locking plate when the plate is in active position.

4. A safety clasp applicable to pins of the safety-pin type including a base adapted to be secured to the rear face of the pin, spaced outstanding side walls projecting from the base, the walls being cut away to define cars at one end and rebent hook portions at the other end the bills of which are curved toward the ears and base to pro vide restricted pin point receiving passages, a locking plate pivoted adjacent one end between the ears with its other end adapted to engage the base when the plate is in active position, the locking plate being outstruck intermediate its length to conform in ourvature to the curvature of the hooks and to lie between them, and a leaf spring fixed to the base at one end between the hooks with its other end in engagement with the pivoted end of the plate so that such end of the plate will wipe over the spring during swinging and be held in either active or inactive position.

5. A safety clasp applicable to pins of the safety-pin type including a base adapted to be secured to the rear face of the pin, outstanding side walls projecting in parallel spaced relation from the base, the upper edges of the walls being cut away to define ears at one end and rebent hook portions at the other end the bills of which are curved toward the ears and base to provide restricted pin point receiving passages, a lockingplate pivoted adjacent one end between the ears and engaging at its other end against the base when in active position, the locking plate being outstruck intermediate its length to conform in curvature to the curvature of the hooks and to lie between them, a leaf spring fixed to the base at one end between the hooks with its other end in engagement with the pivoted end of the plate so that such end of the plate will wipe over the spring during swinging and be held in either active or inactive position, and a locking stud projecting from the plate to extend across the passages and engage the spring when the plate is in active position.

In testimony whereof I aflix In signature.

WILLIAM G. KENDAL [1..s.]

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 6, 

